JAMAICA | Declare St. Elizabeth a Disaster Area: PNP Caretaker Demands Action in Hurricane Beryl's Wake

BLACK RIVER, St. Elizabeth - In a scathing indictment of governmental negligence, Ms. Miranda Wellington, People's National Party Caretaker for South Western St. Elizabeth, has called upon Prime Minister Andrew Holness to declare the entire parish a Disaster Area in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl's unprecedented devastation.

"The Prime Minister's failure to act decisively is not just a drop in the bucket – it's a deluge of indifference," Wellington stated.

"While our constituents are drowning in despair, the government seems content to watch from the shore."

Wellington emphasized that the magnitude of the disaster demanded immediate action from the highest levels of government.

"The Prime Minister's visit in the hurricane's wake should have been a watershed moment. Instead, it was a mere trickle of concern," she remarked.

"A high-level task force should have been deployed faster than you can say 'state of emergency,' with all relevant agencies mobilized to stem the tide of destruction."

The PNP Caretaker painted a grim picture of the parish's current state:

• Thousands severely affected
• Hundreds of roofs destroyed
• Scores of families displaced
• Water and electricity supplies disrupted for over a month
• Jamaica Public Service Company projecting no power restoration until September

"In Jamaica's breadbasket, we're now facing a famine of resources," Wellington lamented. "Our crops lie decimated, our fishing industry is on ice due to destroyed equipment and lack of refrigeration. The government's response? As useful as a chocolate teapot in this crisis."

Wellington proposed a five-point plan to address the crisis:

1. Prioritize electricity restoration to water pumping stations
2. Coordinate a concentrated effort to restore power parish-wide
3. Provide roofing supplies to affected families
4. Initiate discussions on government programs to support farmers and fisherfolk
5. Implement a non-partisan program to sustain vulnerable residents

"These aren't pipe dreams, they're necessities," Wellington insisted. "It's high time the government stopped treating St. Elizabeth like a forgotten backwater and recognized it as the vital artery of Jamaica's agricultural heartland."

The PNP Caretaker concluded with a rallying cry: "We demand action, not empty promises. St. Elizabeth's recovery isn't just a local issue – it's a litmus test for this government's commitment to all Jamaicans. Will they rise to the occasion, or will they leave us to weather this storm alone?"